Combined loose-leaf binder and book stand



Dec. 15, 1959 E. o. SCHLACHTER 2,916,848

COMBINED LOOSE-LEAF BINDER AND BOOK STAND Filed May 26, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet J.

Dec. 15, 1959 E. o. SCHLACHTER COMBINED LOOSE-LEAF BINDER AND BOOK STANDFiled May 2 1 8 2 Sheets-s 2 ENTOR,

/mll i Q MM United States Patent COMBINED LOOSE-LEAF BINDER AND BOOKSTAND Ewald 0. Schlachter, Oakland, Calif. Application May 26, 1958,Serial No. 737,796

2 Claims. (Cl. 45-80) The subject of this invention, hereafter calledthe stand, is a device for the advantageous display of a book,manuscript, chart, or analogous article. More specifically, the subjectof this invention is a collapsible device of said kind. Still morespecifically, the subject of this invention is a device which may beused as a stand of said kind and as a loose-leaf binder.

The ubiquitous use of books and said analogous articles has made obviousthe need for a means of displaying them in an attitude convenient forreading and reference. Consequently, the art abounds with pertinentdesigns. None, however, has attained universal acceptance. It seems thatamong the reasons for this non-acceptance are functional deficiency and,especially, ditficulty in handling, transporting, and storing.

It is accordingly one object of this invention to provide a stand whichwill display a book or said analogous article as aforesaid. Anotherobject of this invention is to provide a stand of said kind which willbe collapsible for transport and storage. A further object of thisinvention is to provide a device which may be used as a stand of saidkind and also as a loose-leaf binder. A still further object of thisinvention is to provide, by combination of two functions as aforesaid, adevice which will be low in cost. It is further contemplated to providea device which, by its incorporation into the already widely used looseleaf binder, will provide convenience without exacting specialattention.

These and incidental objects are accomplished by the unique combinationof certain novel features of construction in such a way that a new anduseful device is produced which will satisfy the need cited above.

In order that the invention may be practiced by others, it will now bedescribed in terms of an express embodiment, given by way of exampleonly, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows the principle of the invention.

Fig. 2 shows the application of the principle to the combination with aloose-leaf binder.

Fig. 3 shows operational details of the combination in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows details which illustrate collapsibility.

Fig. 5 shows the clamps.

Fig. 6 shows the clamps attached and certain cut-outs.

Fig. 7 shows further operational details.

The stand (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2) comprises certain functional elements,namely, a front support 10, a dorsum 11, a rear support 12, a yoke 13, aclamp holder 14, and clamps 15 and 16. I In combination with aloose-leaf binder (Fig. 2), the front support 10, the dorsum 11, and therear support 12 serve in two capacities. The elements to 14 are made ofstiff material and, forming rectangles of equal length but unequalwidth, are flexibly joined (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2) at points 17, 18, 19, and20. The ratio of their dimensions is roughly indicated by the dimensionsof a loose-leaf binder (Fig. 2).

The clamps 15 and 16 (Fig. 5) are made of strips of resilient material.Their construction is characterized by resistance to separation ofsections 21 and 26. Sections 22 and 23 are brought back with respect tosection 21 and, by entering cut-outs 28 and 29 (Fig. 6), aid in conserving space, as shown in Fig. 4. The bent section 27 aids inoperation. The clamps, conveniently attached to clamp holder 14, and thecut-outs are located near the ends of the clamp holder 14 and yoke 13,respectively.

The operation of the stand is as follows: Beginning with the collapsedstand (Fig. 4), the user seizes the front support 10 with one hand andtilts it so that the rear support 1;! hinges outward. Next he seizes theclamp holder 14 with the other hand and inserts the free edge 30 of thefront support 10 between the clamps 15 and 16 and the clamp holder 14(Fig. 7). Placing the stand, which now forms a trigonally stabilizedstructure as schematized in Fig. 1, upon a supporting surface, the userthen inserts the covers 25 of a book between the clamps 15 and 16 andthe front support 10, leaving the pages free (Fig. 2).

These manipulations have installed the book or said analogous articlefirmly in substantial contact with the front support 10 so that thestand may now be moved, by pushing or pulling, about said supportingsurface. It may also be lifted without danger of collapse. Moreover, asevident from Fig. 2, when the device is used as a stand of said kind inthe manner aforesaid, the sheets of paper 31, 32, 33, 34, etc. are notimpinged upon. Also, as suggested by Fig. 4, the collapsed device may beopened to serve as a loose-leaf binder without impairment of thatfunction. The two functions are therefore compatible.

As will at once occur to the artisan, various arrangements are possiblewithin the scope of the invention. For example, means to fix the frontsupport 10 and the rear support 12 in the shown relation may beincorporated in the dorsum, thereby dispensing with the yoke 13 and theclamp holder 14. Also, means to receive and hold a flat object may bedisposed on both sides. This particularly in conjunction with a swivelbase which may be raised, as on a pintle, above the supporting surface,whereby the space under the stand is made available. It is contemplatedthat such an arrangement would be particularly convenient in schoolswhere limited desk space often pre sents a problem.

Having now described and illustrated the general form of my inventionand one specific embodiment, I wish it to be understood that myinvention is not necessarily limited to the specific form or arrangementdescribed or shown or expressly covered in my claims.

I claim:

1. In a loose-leaf binder including at least a front cover, a dorsum,and a rear cover, that improvement which comprises: a first panelhingeably attached to said rear cover; a second panel hingeably attachedto said first panel; means attached to said second panel whereby saidsecond panel may be engaged with said front cover; and means to receivea flat object and hold it in substantial tangency with said front cover.

2. An improved loose-leaf binder according to claim 1, distinguished inthat said means to engage said second panel with said front panel servesimultaneously to receive flat objects and hold them in substantialtangency With said front cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,488,282 Phillips Mar. 25, 1924 1,923,351 Woodley Aug. 22, 19332,173,379 Smith Sept. 19, 1939 2,224,530 Weinstein Dec. 10, 19402,550,279 Mamer Apr. 24, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 31,014 Austria July 15,1907 286,004 Great Britain Feb. 27, 1928 299,654 Switzerland Sept. 1,1954

